DeepSummary
The podcast episode features an interview with renowned Indian author Amitav Ghosh, discussing the relationship between colonialism and climate change. Ghosh argues that the current climate crisis is fundamentally a geopolitical issue rooted in the exploitative practices of European colonization, which imposed extractive and destructive policies on colonized lands and populations.
According to Ghosh, the global south perceives the climate crisis differently from Western experts, viewing it as a consequence of the West's overconsumption of fossil fuels and domination of other nations. He cites the example of the Dutch extermination of the Bandanese people in the Banda Islands to establish a monopoly on the nutmeg trade, illustrating how colonial powers treated the Earth's resources as something to be exploited.
Ghosh also discusses the concept of terraforming, where landscapes were engineered to conform to European modes of life, destroying existing ecosystems and ways of life. He suggests that climate change can be seen as the Earth shrugging off these imposed forms, and advocates for a duty-bound approach to addressing the crisis, acknowledging that desirable outcomes may not be achieved, but the right actions must still be taken.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Ghosh advocates for a duty-bound approach to addressing the climate crisis, acknowledging that desirable outcomes may not be achieved, but the right actions must still be taken.
- The current climate crisis is fundamentally rooted in the exploitative practices of European colonialism and the overconsumption of resources by the West.
- The global south perceives the climate crisis differently from Western experts, viewing it as a consequence of the West's domination and exploitation of colonized nations.
- The concept of terraforming, where landscapes were engineered to conform to European modes of life, destroyed existing ecosystems and ways of life, contributing to the current crisis.
- Climate change can be seen as the Earth shrugging off the imposed forms resulting from colonial practices and the extractive treatment of resources.
- The current climate crisis is not just a techno-scientific issue but a geopolitical one with deep historical roots in injustice and exploitation.
- The global north and global south have differing perspectives on the causes and solutions to the climate crisis, reflecting the legacy of colonialism and resource exploitation.
- Indigenous and non-Western perspectives offer valuable insights into understanding and addressing the climate crisis, contrasting with dominant Western narratives.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “They expanded their carbon footprint and they got rich by keeping us poor.“ by Amitav Ghosh
- “And I think that is where my perception of it differs completely from that of most western experts. But it's also because this crisis is seen in a completely different way in the global south.“ by Amitav Ghosh
- “Essentially, it begins with a certain kind of geopolitics. Now, from my point of view, the planetary crisis today is absolutely a geopolitical crisis.“ by Amitav Ghosh
- “So essentially, when you start interfering with the landscape in that particular way, it destroys other pre existing ways of life.“ by Amitav Ghosh
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Living Planet
DW
11/23/23